AMG Review of Acrophobe

Charles Spano
All Music Guide

With keyboards and pianos driving their songs into the land of pop, Bad Astronaut, fronted by Joey Cape of Lagwagon, parts ways with their California punk peers and crafts a more Weezer-esque brand of sugary melancholia. Expect a blurring of genres that the band lays out explicitly in their liner notes by crediting their inspirations: Radiohead, Elton John, Bad Religion, and Iron Maiden to name a few. Whereas "Quiet" is pure piano pop and their cover of "500 Miles" is given the straight-up punk rock treatment, songs like "Grey Suits" excel by combining the two and even throwing in a metal solo for good measure. The result is a rocking sound with crunchy guitars that are underscored by a churning, organic keyboard groove. Bad Astronaut has produced a space for themselves that is equal parts sneer and heart strings. Here punk riffs ("Greg's Estate"), sci-fi effects ("Logan's Run"), and even a rollicking cover of Elliott Smith's "Needle in the Hay" sit perfectly side by side for a listening experience that equals pure enjoyment.